One traditionally pictures a winter garden as stark and bleak, banked with snow and leaves. Just under the surface, however, a winter garden teems with life. Spring bulbs quietly await their blooming, sugar maples store up sap, and gardeners eagerly anticipate the more prosperous seasons ahead.
One of the earliest blooms spotted in my winter garden are hellebore flowers. These long-lasting and fragrant blooms are a welcome sight in late winter months as they sometimes bloom while the ground is still covered with snow. Different varieties of the hellebore plant offer a range of flower colors, from white to black.
What I appreciate the most is the minimal care of these tough beauties once the plant is established. Hellebores need no more than a few hours of dappled light and grow successfully in shady areas. The most difficult thing you will find with growing hellebore is choosing the variety.
